RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — The Richmond Public School Board has approved a second school, Cardinal Elementary, for the RPS200 pilot program.
The program will add 20 instructional days to the school year’s existing 180-day calendar, starting in July of the 2023-2024 school year. Breaks, holidays and the last day of school will remain the same but RPS200 schools will begin the school year 20 days early.
According to Superintendent Jason Kamras, 580 out of 644 Cardinal Elementary families took part in the vote, with 507 — or 87% — of them voting in favor of joining the pilot program. The school will now join Fairfield Elementary come July.
Overby-Sheppard Elementary made it to phase three of the approval process but lacked family approval — with only 92 votes, 35 of which were in favor of joining RPS200.
Board members were divided on the issue, with a few voting against the motion — made by Jonathan Young (4th District) and seconded by Nicole Jones (9th District) to approve Cardinal Elementary. However, the motion was passed as one of the last action items of the night.
